South Sudan face Kenya on Sunday, 20 September, with their U20 Africa Cup of Nations (AFCON) qualification hopes hanging in the balance after a brutal 4-0 defeat to Burundi in their opening CECAFA qualifiers Group C match.Download our Mozzart Sport app for more newsThe Bright Stars know they need a strong response against the Rising Stars, and Mariel Mathew, South Sudan U20's second assistant coach, says the squad has already addressed some of the weaknesses exposed in their opening game.“After learning a few lessons from the first game, we have tried to raise the level of physical fitness of the boys,” he told Mozzart Sport.Why Harambee Stars striker is not overly excited despite scoring debut goal for English club“We have also trained on the turf, and it will not be strange to us again like the first game. We will try our best to minimise our mistakes and try to execute our chances in order to win the game.”But beyond the immediate qualification battle, Mathew sees the country's emerging domestic league as an important part of South Sudan's long-term football development.For him, the South Sudan Premier League is becoming more than a competition for senior players. It is also creating an environment in which younger footballers can learn, develop and eventually strengthen the national team.##NAJAVA_MECA_9962008##“We give credit to our federation for establishing the South Sudan Premier League because in the Premier League we are having players from East Africa as well as from as far away as West Africa,” he said.Among the nationalities who have featured in the league are Kenyan players, including former Jamus striker Joseph Irungu, who finished as Kenya's top scorer last season, and Haniff Wesonga, who has also received a recent Harambee Stars call-up.For Mathew, their presence offers something that extends beyond the immediate quality they bring to the pitch.Dortmund star headlines Guinea's 25-man squad to face Kenya in AFCON 2027 qualifier“These players will help our younger generation as they learn from them, and we are getting better compared to the other three years when we didn’t have the Premier League,” he said.South Sudan's top-flight league was formally launched in December 2024, meaning the country only recently established a national Premier League structure. Before that, football was largely organised through regional competitions and national tournaments.The gap was also affected by wider financial and organisational difficulties, with the South Sudan Football Association (SSFA ) previously having to postpone league competitions because it lacked the funds to run them.##NAJAVA_MECA_9962300##The country's football structure has since begun to take shape. The inaugural Premier League season produced 14 clubs, while the 2025/26 campaign expanded the competitive calendar into a 26-match season for each team. The 2026/27 season is now underway.That regular competition is particularly valuable for a country still trying to widen its pool of players.Gor Mahia introduce season tickets for 2026/27 campaignMathew believes the arrival of footballers from neighbouring countries and further afield exposes local players to different styles, experiences and standards of the game.“Our players will learn a lot from the talents that we are getting from Africa,” he said.The benefits are not limited to the senior level. A functioning domestic league gives young players a pathway to watch, train alongside and eventually compete against more experienced footballers, creating a bridge between youth football and the senior game.##NAJAVA_MECA_9962115##For South Sudan, Sunday's match is therefore a test on two fronts: an immediate attempt to revive their CECAFA campaign and another step in the development of a football system that Mathew believes needs time, competition and greater exposure to reach its potential.The Premier League is still young. But for South Sudan's football authorities and coaches, its emergence could provide the domestic foundation required to ensure the next generation has more opportunities than the one before it.
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